Sometimes you just have to say a name and a wealth of images and words bubble into your mind. Try it with Mariah Carey; what are you thinking? Diva? Warbling? Oddball? Giant Billion Dollar Goddess Legs?

If the final one wasn't in your list, it should be now. Because Mariah Carey has finally been awarded the title of Legs Of A Goddess in a shameless publicity opportunity sparkling event laid on by a shaving company. And, to make the most of this weird Goddess Leg thing, Mariah Carey has had her legs insured for a billion dollars, a move which has sort of put the kibosh on any hopes of Mariah Carey taking up the problem holding position for England at the World Cup next month.

It's not a new phenomenon for celebrities to want to insure their body parts. Fred Astaire insured his legs, Dolly Parton insured her breasts, Keith Richards insured his fingers and it was once rumoured that Jennifer Lopez had insured her arse for a billion dollars. That sounds a lot, but it only works out at about 12p for every square inch of arse. And so it's only natural for Mariah Carey to want to insure her legs for a billion dollars, right?

Well, not really. Mariah Carey is a singer, so it's her voice that is her fortune. Her legs are just the two digitally-elongated planks of flesh that allow her to totter about eight hours late for everything and let her approach French waiters so that she can tell them that she's just wet herself. But screw Mariah Carey's voice – Gillette doesn't have a product out that guilts women into shaving their voice – so instead Mariah Carey has insured her legs.

Sorry, her 'giant legs of a goddess'. Mariah Carey has insured her giant legs of a goddess for a cool billion dollars. It's all part of her deal to become the new face of Gillette for it's Legs Of A Goddess campaign. Talking to The Mirror about all this wanton leg-insuring, a source close to Mariah Carey – so probably a Gillette spokeman – said:

"The sum reflects her popularity. She's about to start a US tour and she'll have to be careful."

Did we mention that Mariah Carey's got a new single coming out on Monday? 

Read more:

Mariah's A Leg-End – Mirror

[story by Stuart Heritage]